Keelung's mayoral race is now set, with the opposition DPP promising to extend a waterfront revamp and the sitting mayor selling a tech-and-ports vision — a normal but closely watched local contest in Taiwan.

• Former president Tsai Ing-wen escorted DPP candidate Tung Tzu-wei to register, saying the city's east waterfront was opened up under her and now the west side is next.
• Tung is running as a "everyday-life mayor," pitching help for the elderly, young people and commuters, and promising to work with President Lai Ching-te's government to make Keelung's port competitive again for trade and tourism.
• Sitting mayor Hsieh Kuo-liang, seeking re-election, unveiled a 2030 plan built with National Taiwan Ocean University around AI industry, smart governance and port-area development, aiming to turn Keelung into a world-class ocean city.
• A day after Hsieh registered, suspicious accounts appearing to come from Vietnam flooded his social media with simplified-Chinese messages of support; he denied any involvement and called for people to dig into where they came from.

Outlook: Expect the campaign to turn on who can revive Keelung's port economy, with the odd wave of foreign-looking online support likely to draw more scrutiny.